Side door for railway freight cars



Ju y 13 1926.

- 1,592,138 G. e. GILPIN SIDB DOOR FOR RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS Filed Nov. 5. 1924 F, 5 Invenior:

, Garzlz izoin Affornqy patented duly 13, 1926.

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GARTH GILPIN, OF BIVEEJSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T6 UNION METAL ?RODUCTS COMPAEIY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COBPORATIQN OF DELAWARE.

' SIDE DOOR FOR RAILWAY FREIGHT CARS.

Application filed November 3, 1924. Serial No. 747,557.

means are frequently used in such hangers or brackets. Sometimes a lower track is used and rollers are mounted in the lower edge of the door.

The impact of the door when the car is in motion causes severe stresses on the frame.

member by which it is carried.

lhe side framing of a box car comprises aside plate, side sill, vertical posts and diagonal braces, which together with the tension rods, form a truss to carry the weight of the lading and the car to the body bolstars and thence to the trucks. The side plate is a compression member and having its maximum stress at the middle of the truss which is between the two door posts and over the door opening. When the door is hung from the side plate (in its closed position) it causes additional stresses at the middle of this truss, therefore, it is desirable to support the door elsewhere when it is in a closed position.

The side door is frequently supported by the side sill when in both open or closed position, but it is difficult to align (and keep aligned) the large number of brackets necessary to support the door in the open as well as in the closed position. (Usually seven brackets are necessary.) This is especially true in old equipment due to the sagging of the side truss and underframe, caused by shrinkage of the component tinr bers.

The side door of a box car is in a closed position when the car is in motion (according to American Railroad Association Rules) and it is desirable to transmit the impact of the door to the side sill instead of the side plate because the former is a heavier member and part of the underframe of the car, whereas the latter is a lighter member and a part of the roof framing of the car (as well as the side framing.) Any distortion of the roof framing might cause a leaky roof.

My invention resides in movably supportmg a side door of a railway freight car so that the door is supported by the side sill (or underfraine) of the car when the door is in a closed position and partially by the side sill and partially by the side plate when the door is in an open position.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means to support the door when in an open or closed position which requires the minimum number of supporting braclo ets.

vide an arrangement whereby the door is solely supported upon the side sill (or at its lower edge) when it is in a closed position but is partially supported by the side plate (or at its upper edge) when in an open posit-ion.

'inother object of the invention is to provide means to support the side door solely upon the side sill when in a closed position so as to relieve the side plate of impact stresses of the side door especially the middle of the side plate where its truss stresses are at'a maximum.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic. illustration of the door in closed position.

Fig.2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the door in a half open position.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration 0 the door in an open position.

Fig. at is a cross section through the side plate of a typical railway box car showing ahanger and its associated parts.

Fig. 5 is a cross section through the side sill of a typical railway box car showing a bracket and its associated parts.

The side sill '1; side plate 2; roofing 3; sheathing flooring 5; lintel 6 and door post 7 are all of the usual construction.

he door 8 is provided with a lower stiffening member 9 which rides upon roller 10 mounted in bracket 11 and secured to the side sill by bolts 12.

The upper edge of the door 8 is prorided with interacting members 13 and 14 form- Another object of the invention is to prolot) ing a weather and spark proof construction.

The hanger 15 is secured to the door by bolts 16 and provided with a roller 17 which is out or" contact with track 1% when the door is in closed position but rests upon it when the door is in an open position. The interacting members 13 and 14 are immaterial to this invention, as any track arrangement will, no

lip

accomplish the desired results. Additional door guides (not illustrated) may be used, if desired, adjacent the bottom edge of the door to keep it in place. Front and back door stops are usually used. which are not illustrated.

In the diagrammatic illustrations I8 is the door opening and It), 20 and 21 represents the lower brackets.

When the door is in closed position, shown in Fig. 1, it rests upon the lower brackets 19, 20 and 21, and there is clearance between the door hanger l and the track Li. When opening the door, as soon as the center of gravity 22 passes beyond the brackfl 21, the door tilts until hanger rests upon track It, thereby transmitting substantially half of the weight of the door to the track 1% and its supporting frame member. This will also cause clearance between the door and bracket 20. During the remainder of the travel of the door to open position its weight is carried partially by hanger l5 and partially by bracket 21, as shown in Fig. 3. The track ll transmits any load imposed upon it to the side plate 2, while the brackets 19, and 21 transmit any load imposed upon them to the side sill l.

I claim:

1. In a railway car having a sill, a plate, and a door opening, a horizontally movable door for opening or closing said openin said door solely supported by said sill when in a closed position, and partially by said sill and partially by said plate, when in an open position.

2. In a railway car having a sill, a plate, and a door opening; the combination of a door adapted to move horizontally to open or close said door opening, a track supported by the plate, a. hanger upon the door, and brackets supported by the sill, said parts so relatively positioned that the door is solely supported by the brackets when the door is in a closed position, and partially sup ported by the hanger and partially by one ol the brackets when the door in an open position.

3. In a railway car havin a door opening; the combination of a door adapted to move horizontally to open or close said opening. means to support said door along its bottom edge when it is in closed position. said means partially supporting said door when it is in an open position, and addi tional means to partially suspend said door at its upper edge when it is in an open posi- [1011.

4. In a railway car having a door opening; the combination of a door adapted to move horizontally to open or close said opening, means to solely support said door along its bottom edge when it is in a closed position, said means partially supporting said door when it is in an open position, and additional means to partially suspend said door at its upper edge when it is in an open position.

In a railway car, the combination of a door, means to solely support the door along its bottom edge when it is in a closed position, and means to partially support the. door adjacent diagonally opposite corners when it is in an open position.

6. In a. railway car, the combination of a horizontally movable door, a track mounted on the car adjacent the upper part of the door, and a bracket mounted upon the car adjacent the lower part of the door. said parts so relatively positioned that when upon opening the door the center of gravity of the door is moved beyond the bracket, part of the weight of the door is transferred to said track.

7. In a railway car, the combination of a door solely supported along its bottom edge when in a closed position. but supported adjacent its diagonally opposite corners when in an open position.

GARTH G. (JILPIX. 

